MI6 Films is one of the operators targeted by the FAA in its crackdown on the use of remote-control aircraft to shoot aerial video and photos for the real estate trade.
The company used a substantial aircraft to carry full-sized motion picture camera gear and rented the aircraft and camera along with three crew for $2,500 a day. The company has a long list of well-known clients for the work. According to the MI6 website, the FAA wrote the company a letter last December saying there is an “existing prohibition” against using UAS for commercial purposes. That may be an interpretation of the current approach to UAS by the FAA. According to an FAA fact sheet, unmanned aircraft systems are not approved for use in civilian airspace, except through a special airworthiness certificate, and the special airworthiness certificate precludes commercial use of UAS.
To accommodate model aircraft hobbyists the FAA has voluntary guidelines (PDF), written in 1981, that advise owners to restrict RC aircraft operations to 400 feet in altitude and away from populated areas and full-sized aircraft. That guideline, however, does not specifically mention a prohibition of commercial use of remote-control aircraft.
The FAA says it intends to clear up the ambiguity surrounding UAS operations with a comprehensive rule that will be issued in 2011. It told MI6 the new rule will include allowances for commercial use of UAS but in the meantime its fleet is grounded except for fun flights. MI6 is reportedly using only piloted helicopters for its film work now and the ‘Aerial Video Reels’ section has been removed from its website.
[The above footage of Zuma Bay Village was made by a different operator and dates from August 2011 – Ed.]
Source: AV Web